Crazy Driver Stories

That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
Okay....This should be an interesting thread.
Similar to the "stories when filling up", this is "stories when driving around". Specifically stories of the crazy drivers we see every day on the streets...including pedestrians.


I see people doing the stupidest things almost every time I go out driving.


This morning it wasn't much...just a guy in an SUV that almost changed lanes into me, and a dude who turned at an intersection...from the wrong lane.

Other stuff I've seen...

- From behind a row of trees some guy pushed his baby carriage into the street and then peeked out to see what was coming.

- A drunk stopping in the middle of a busy freeway, getting out and trying to cross traffic to get to a cold beer store.

- People who purposely speed up to cut off people who are merging onto the road...when there are multiple car-lengths of room to spare.

- I passed three cars one night on a highway....that were going the wrong way in the passing lane on my side of the highway...at highway speeds.

- An old guy tee-boned another car at a T intersection...at about 2 MPH. It was a scuff....but ***? The one guy traveling through the T slowed down as he wasn't sure what the old guy was doing. The old guy who came from the bottom of the T just proceeded slowly straight into the side of the first dude. I'm not sure what he thought he was doing, or where he was going...and he seemed in control of his marbles after the fact. Tried to get out of it by arguing with the dude he hit...saying it's just a scratch.


PS:
I realize that certain comments can be perceived to be directed against certain groups.

Please keep your comments factual.
As an example...There should be nothing wrong in saying that an old lady hit the gas instead of the break and drove her car through a coffee shop window. That would be stating a fact. But saying that all old people are poor drivers is not acceptable and is likely to start trouble.

We don't want to get off topic or the thread locked. I want to hear all the crazy driving stories.:)
 

cmitchell

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Location
Central Oregon
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS black / black leather
A week or so ago I was driving north through Gold Beach, Oregon. There are two lanes heading north. I was in the right lane following an older woman driving a white Oldsmobile Aurora with California plates. In the left lane a pick-up stopped to wait for oncoming traffic before making a left turn. The Olds driver pulled up even with the pick-up and stopped. She waited until he made the left turn and then she proceeded. I'd never seen that one before!
 

streeker02

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Location
Halton Hills
TDI
2003 Golf TDI
A week or so ago I was driving north through Gold Beach, Oregon. There are two lanes heading north. I was in the right lane following an older woman driving a white Oldsmobile Aurora with California plates. In the left lane a pick-up stopped to wait for oncoming traffic before making a left turn. The Olds driver pulled up even with the pick-up and stopped. She waited until he made the left turn and then she proceeded. I'd never seen that one before!
Scary. Determines her actions by the vehicles around her rather than road signs and conditions. Shouldn't be driving :eek:
 

jetlagmech

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Location
Toledo, WA
TDI
2010 jetta
This happens to me all the time..... someone accelerating and hitting brakes diving in and out of lanes trying to go faster than traffic. traveling 20 miles on my commute in which my lane never went under 65mph and this car is still within just a few car lengths of me. must get half the fuel economy and twice the wear and tear as it should
 

velociT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 10, 2006
Location
Not Austin, TX
TDI
06 Jetta TDI *sold*
I've seen a Ford Explorer joyriding, and not stopping at red lights, blow through one only to get T-Boned by the car right in front of me doing 70.

It landed upside down... doors opened, out came a ton of empty beer bottles and 4 mexicans which proceeded to run into the woods.

I've seen a woman talking on her cellphone pull right in front of a car going 55 (right next to me) who also got T-Boned.

Then, I've seen hundreds of after-accident scenes as a volunteer FF.

Plenty were too graphic to mention.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
A week or so ago I was driving north through Gold Beach, Oregon. There are two lanes heading north. I was in the right lane following an older woman driving a white Oldsmobile Aurora with California plates. In the left lane a pick-up stopped to wait for oncoming traffic before making a left turn. The Olds driver pulled up even with the pick-up and stopped. She waited until he made the left turn and then she proceeded. I'd never seen that one before!
I can see her hesitating to make sure some bonehead isn't making a left turn across her lane of traffic - maybe the view of that was blocked by the waiting pickup. But once she slowed to ascertain that wasn't happening, she should have moved on without stopping. Stopping indicates extreme caution that is typically found in people who have progressed to incompetence at driving - they are "load shedding" by waiting for traffic to be uncomplicated enough for them to deal with.
 

hevster1

Vendor
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Columbia NJ
TDI
98 NB
I could just say spend a few hours on I-80 in NJ or really ANY road in NJ for that matter.

However, I do have one which happened to me in 93 in Colorado. I was traveling through the mountains in CO when a pretty heavy snowstorm hit. As I was in the middle of nowhere, I decided to keep going. I had a 82 Toyota 4x4 with studded Nokians and I felt confident I could make it if I took my time. After a while I was the only vehicle on the road. I came up over the top of a pass and found an old man stopped in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes and locked the truck up. I steered it to the left (I went sideways) and hit him with my rear tire and wheel. He proceeded to drive down to the bottom of the pass where he pulled over finally. I asked him what he was thinking, why he was stopped in the middle of the road and he told me he was petting his dog. I was speechless.
 

That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
Sounds like a nomination for a Darwin award.

It's kinda like those people who immediately slam on their brakes when they enter some fog. No thought at all about any traffic behind them.

I guess when you boil it down a lot of the idiots don't give much thought to the other vehicles on the road around them.


I love the ones who can't judge distances. I have two neighbors who have hit the side of their garages when they were parking.

I was out washing my car when one of them did his. His passenger side hit the side of the garage door opening...made a scraping crunching type of noise. He was driving slow and didn't stop immediately. Then he pulled ahead a bit more...at which time I'm really cringing:confused:. Finally he backed it out and tried again with success.
 
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That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
Some lady on a minivan pulled out in front of me the other day from a side road in our subdivision. She didn't slow down or look in my direction. If I was a second or two sooner I would have hit her.

Same thing happened on a busy street down town a few years ago. An oriental lady driving south on 101St turned West on 104 Ave without looking left for traffic at all. The good part....she cut a cop off. He had to brake to avoid her. He turned on his lights and followed her into a casino parking lot right there. I don't think she was even aware he was there until she was in the lot. He looked pretty pissed. I was just behind the cop and I saw the whole thing.
 

nate379

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Location
Palmer, AK
TDI
05 Jetta
This spring we had a late storm that dropped 6-7" of snow. I got out of work and the roads weren't plowed. I had my 2wd duallie.. yeah...

Hardly anyone on the roads and I was doing fine until I get to the one big hill.

It's a 2 lane highway but reduced to one lane. Guy in front of me just stops in the middle of the hill for no reason. I was trying to get my wind to make it up the hill so I was going close to the speed limit. Almost had to put on the chains to make it up the hill.

Guy said his truck started running rough. So it's normal to stop in the middle of a 65mph highway?? :mad:
 

That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
A few years ago I was stopped in traffic waiting for a light. There were four lanes on my side of the road. All were filled with stopped cars except the fourth lane to my far right...as it was a turn lane for the intersection ahead.

Anyway. This lady crossing from a parking lot entrance on my left wanted to get through. So myself and the guys in the two lanes to my right let her though....there's no rush as we're all stopped anyway.

So she just zips through and gets creamed by a guy in that last fourth lane. She didn't even attempt to look to see if any one was coming in that lane.

After this she walks back and gets contact info from myself and the two other guys who let her through...so we could be witnesses for her:confused:. I couldn't believe it...she thought she was in the right. I never did hear from her...guess she figured out that any witnesses wouldn't be good for her case.:rolleyes:


I see pedestrians do this all the time too. They wait for the first car to stop and then walk across the road without any more attention to what's coming in the other lanes. It amazes me that more people aren't killed.
A friend of mine does this...the walk sign pops up and he just starts walking...never looks to see what's coming first. I give him crap for it, but he just says that he'd sue anyone who hits him and be rich. I follow with how being dead or paralyzed will make it hard to enjoy the money.
These people must be really lucky. I personally would have been hit at least three different times that I can remember if I hadn't looked before I stepped out.
 

Frequent Flyer

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2009
Location
Dallas, TX
TDI
2000 Jetta, 6m "The White Knight"
I was driving in a Freeway in Dallas in the left lane for the left-exit. The guy in front of me realizes its an exit only meters before it turns into a no-going-back situation. He proceeds to slam on his brakes and come to a complete stop to wait for a gap to open in the lane to his right. All in high speed traffic :eek: !
Dallas has some of the worst drivers I have ever seen (and I've been alot of places)

Watched a prius attempting to back out of a space and bump the car behind him. When he immediately drove off I could see all the major dents and scratches on his car: evidence of his poor driving ability.

I have come to realize the majority of people on the road are terrible drivers.
 

sirpuddingfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
05 Passat, 05 Jetta
I see pedestrians do this all the time too. They wait for the first car to stop and then walk across the road without any more attention to what's coming in the other lanes. It amazes me that more people aren't killed.
A friend of mine does this...the walk sign pops up and he just starts walking...never looks to see what's coming first. I give him crap for it, but he just says that he'd sue anyone who hits him and be rich. I follow with how being dead or paralyzed will make it hard to enjoy the money.
These people must be really lucky. I personally would have been hit at least three different times that I can remember if I hadn't looked before I stepped out.
I look, and if people are not going to stop, I act like I'm just going to walk in front of them (this is especially fun when there is an obvious crosswalk and they are otherwise not required to stop). If they get upset I just stare at them from the middle of the street like I'm confused for a second, then flick them off and yell "Crosswalk" and keep going. If they don't notice I'm there and keep moving, they get a kicked door as they're going past and a finger in their rear view mirror. But, I always wait for a signal if there is one. If they were in the intersection turning left (or whatever) and had to wait for it to clear, I don't act the righteous 4$$hole because it's not their fault, I prefer to pick on the oblivious and the passive aggressive.

I also have a habit of blocking D-Bag drivers from switching lanes or getting in front of me, especially when I'm already doing 10 over and passing traffic at a good clip. I also do it to exit bombers and late mergers.
/rant

I once had a lady slam on her brakes in front of me at a green light while I was riding my motorcycle (there was no cross traffic or other reason to stop). She had also blown the previous stop sign. I nearly rear ended her, but pulled up to the side of her window and gave it a good smack (yes, she just sat there at the green light). She was on her phone, of course, so she got the finger too. I need to start carrying some of the "Start seeing motorcycles" bumperstickers for those incidents and leaving them on offending vehicles.

I've decided that St. Paul motorcyclists have a nemesis: late 90's Japanese Minivans.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
I see pedestrians do this all the time too. They wait for the first car to stop and then walk across the road without any more attention to what's coming in the other lanes. It amazes me that more people aren't killed.
Last October I was visiting Dallas, and stayed in a hostel. There I met a brother and sister from the UK who were touring a few spots on the USA on a long vacation. I offered to take them downtown to go to the 6th Floor Museum (JFK assassination) as I had a car and they did not. After parking, we had to walk across a few streets to get to our destination. When standing on a curb, I catch the guy stepping right out into traffic - I instantly clap my hand on his shoulder and jerk him back up onto the neutral ground right before a pickup truck roars by with horn honking. After the guy calms down from being startled, I had to tell him "We drive on the right, mate. You have to first LOOK LEFT before stepping out in traffic."

I then had to tell him not to step into traffic, PERIOD, because drivers in the US don't give a damn and won't stop for you. Immediately following that pointer, we go to cross at a crosswalk with a walk signal giving us the right of way. People turning left immediately pull out and start to cut us off instead of yielding us the right of way while we are in the crosswalk with a walk signal. First in line to run us over was a woman in a Sebring convertible (top down) chatting on a cell phone. She swoops right in front of us, causing me to take a jump back. I scream at the top of my lungs "GOD-DAMN, YOU GOING TO YIELD?!" - and then rear back with my Big Gulp of Dr. Pepper and completely douche her right through the open top of her convertible. Still fuming, I turn around, and next in line to turn (and actually yielding to us) was a Dallas police officer. :eek: I have an "oh crap" moment, but the Brody in the cruiser who saw the whole thing just splits up laughing and doesn't say a word.
 
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That Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
TDI
2001 MKiv Golf TDI
I totally agree. At least you guys were watching while you crossed.

It's the ones that don't that freak me out.

I've had a number of times when I see someone crossing who's not paying attention and see a possible "splat!" about to happen as some vehicle is coming along at a good clip....some times they can't even see the pedestrian due to large vehicles blocking the view....and visa versa. I get that "oh crap...I don't want to see this" moment...yet I can't look away. So far they've all been really close calls ... so no gory stories to tell you.

But ya...that's my point to my friend. Just because you are in the right doesn't guarantee your safety. Vehicles don't stop on a dime...there's no magic barrier....and then there's the stupid drivers to worry about.

btw...I hear that in Montreal the cars have the right of way. I wonder how that affects the number of pedestrian accidents compared to other cities.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
I also have a habit of blocking D-Bag drivers from switching lanes or getting in front of me, especially when I'm already doing 10 over and passing traffic at a good clip.
I know you have good intentions, but seriously, get out of my way. If you're not the 5-0, quit making "citizen arrests" on the interstate. ;)
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
I've had a number of times when I see someone crossing who's not paying attention and see a possible "splat!" about to happen as some vehicle is coming along at a good clip
I had a moment like that. I was stopped at a red light on my motorcycle, and saw a guy leaving the corner store start to be-bop right across the crosswalk (crossing against a red light). I saw a car coming when he wasn't paying attention, and screamed "LOOK OUT!" just in time for the guy to juke out of the way. If I had been in my car with the window rolled up, that guy would have been a grease stain on Route 9.

I suppose I just thwarted natural selection - allowing the guy to go on to have stupid offspring that will walk into oncoming traffic. :D
 

Chris

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2000
Location
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA
One frosty morning I was on a small side road approaching its intersection with a 50 mph crossroad. At the intersection was a car with the driver's door open and the driver standing just beside the car, looking for an opening in traffic. None of the windows of the car had been cleared of frost--I don't know if the windshield was properly cleared. As soon as a break in traffic came he hopped in and turned left.

This was in Harford County, Md.

- Chris
 

SeePalm23

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Location
Palmdale, CA
TDI
09 Jetta TDI
I was driving on Hwy 14 just north of L.A. I was the head of a pack of cars and was doing between 75 and 80 mph. I saw 2 cars about 5 people standing on the right shoulder but didn't think anything of it. I was in the fast lane with 2 lanes to my right and a carpool lane on my left.

When I was within 500 feet, one of the guys runs into the traffic lanes and stops right in front of me. I hit the brakes and jumped into the carpool lane on my left without even looking. That was the craziest thing ever. As I kept going I watched in my rearview him just keep standing there and traffic come to a stop.
 

SeePalm23

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Location
Palmdale, CA
TDI
09 Jetta TDI
Immediately following that pointer, we go to cross at a crosswalk with a walk signal giving us the right of way. People turning left immediately pull out and start to cut us off instead of yielding us the right of way while we are in the crosswalk with a walk signal. .
This is a pet peeve for me. I used to take a commuter bus and had to cross major intersections all the time. I would just stop in front of them and wait for the light to change before I would move. That way they are stuck blocking oncoming traffic. One lady yelled at me saying she could have got hit, I replied what about me?

Another time some young girl pulled into the cross walk to turn right even though there was an old lady and myself walking. We had to walk into the traffic to get past her car so as we went by I drummed my hands across her trunk. When she complained, the old lady ripped into her. That was the greatest moment.
 

corvettecrazy

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Location
Boston, MA
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI manual
I also have a habit of blocking D-Bag drivers from switching lanes or getting in front of me, especially when I'm already doing 10 over and passing traffic at a good clip. I also do it to exit bombers and late mergers.
/rant
I know you have good intentions, but seriously, get out of my way. If you're not the 5-0, quit making "citizen arrests" on the interstate. ;)
X2. If I want to go faster, then who are you to keep me from doing that. Also, that person going faster is the most expensive free radar detector, why ruin it?
 

sirpuddingfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
05 Passat, 05 Jetta
X2. If I want to go faster, then who are you to keep me from doing that. Also, that person going faster is the most expensive free radar detector, why ruin it?
Look, I'm not talking about the guys who want to go fast when it's reasonable, I'm talking about the lane swerving d-bags that push people out of the way to get 2 car lengths ahead in heavy traffic. If you are endangering the rest of us on the road, then it is my imperative to slow you down, even if I do piss you off, hell, I'm happy if I do. In fact, the more pissed off you get, the happier I get, because that means it's working.

It's not like I sit in the left lane holding up traffic. I'm the guy that hates it when I have to take off the cruise when I'm doing 15 over on the interstate out of town. But when I'm in town and there's no "free lane" and I'm still passing traffic, seriously, back off and relax. We'll all get through this together. I'll move over when it's clear.
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
As long as you are not the A-hole off my left rear quarter, who accelerates when they see my left signal come on in order to block the lane change that I HAVE to do in order to make the left turn half a block ahead ...

and by the way, the last A-hole who did that was a woman in a Ford Explorer talking on the cell phone while driving (which is illegal here)

and the BEST example of this nonsense that I've ever seen, involved an 18-wheeler approaching the end of its right lane. The end of that right lane was enforced with a bridge abutment at the time, so there is absolutely no choice but for the truck (and every other vehicle in that lane) to change lanes to the left. The nonsense started a good distance back from the end of the lane ... the truck started signaling left at least half a kilometer from the end of the lane. One car blows by in the next lane. Then another. And another. Then the truck HAD to change lane, so it did. Approaching car driver had to slam on the brakes.

It's not like the situation wasn't predictable ... the sign saying "right lane ending" with the ISO standard symbol for such (language not an excuse), the obviously visible lane end and bridge abutment up ahead, the obviously visible turn signal of the truck ... the truck was GOING to change lanes.

In motorcycle rider training course, you are taught to scan ... interpret ... predict ... decide ... execute. It's obvious that the truck's lane is ending. Interpret? It's going to change lanes. Predict? It's going to change lanes! What should I do? SLOW DOWN AND LET THE TRUCK IN. Duh!
 

velociT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 10, 2006
Location
Not Austin, TX
TDI
06 Jetta TDI *sold*
Interpret? It's going to change lanes. Predict? It's going to change lanes! What should I do? SLOW DOWN AND LET THE TRUCK IN. Duh!
:confused:

Should I interpret and predict before or after checking my BFF's relationship staus on facebook?

:D
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
Just a small segue . . .

The same couple from the UK had already toured a couple of pedestrian friendly cities like New York and Chicago. They asked me "Will we need to rent a car in L.A.?"

I fell out of my chair laughing at that question.
 

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
While I am thinking of stories with me on my motorcycle . . .

There have been a couple of occasions where I pull up to a 4-way stop sign, other drivers came to a stop before I did, and they attempt to wave me through the intersection as a courtesy. Even if I make eye contact with the drivers, I sit immobile until they move on, as you cannot yield the right of way. There has been two separate occasions where an uncomfortable length of time went by where the other driver kept on waving me to move into the intersection. On those two occasions, I put my bike on the kickstand, walked over to the driver in the other car, and told them "You cannot yield the right of way. It is a basic rule of the road. Smooth flowing and predictable traffic depends on the right of way to avoid accidents. Commanding me to go first when you have the right of way creates confusion due to unpredictable traffic. YOU CANNOT YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY!"
 

nate379

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Location
Palmer, AK
TDI
05 Jetta
Huh??

If someone waves me through I go. IF you did that crap to me I'd probably run your bike over for being a jack ass!

I had someone do that crap to me one day when I was towing a 38ft gooseneck trailer in an older neighborhood. I had just enough room to swing it and not hit parked cars but there was a car blocking the path. I waved them through and they kept waving me through. OK... tried to pull through and they had to back up a good 150-200 feet to give me room.
 
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sirpuddingfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
05 Passat, 05 Jetta
As long as you are not the A-hole off my left rear quarter, who accelerates when they see my left signal come on in order to block the lane change that I HAVE to do in order to make the left turn half a block ahead ...

and by the way, the last A-hole who did that was a woman in a Ford Explorer talking on the cell phone while driving (which is illegal here)
Lol, Not a chance... unless you were swerving through traffic getting there and were previously behind me. Besides, I give VW drivers a break ;) . If you were in a BMW or Mercedes (I have a soft-spot for Audis too), or Giant American SUV, well, then I block you on purpose, but just because I like frustrating people in better financial situations, and because I'm just waiting for someone to hit my 1.8T golf so I can get another TDI.

I think people took my previous posts wrong. I'm a fast driver. I always run with traffic (up to 20 over in some places). I speed up in the left lane when I'm cruising so you don't have to drop yours. I'm not the D-Bag unless you start it, then the fun starts. Just for the record, I have never ... felt the need... to do this to any VAG drivers. That typically includes fart-canned hondas, late 90s Domestic cars with more than a little rust, trucks with lift kits and glass packs, and large SUV drivers, with the occasional self-important luxury saloon.
 

sirpuddingfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
05 Passat, 05 Jetta
While I am thinking of stories with me on my motorcycle . . .

There have been a couple of occasions where I pull up to a 4-way stop sign, other drivers came to a stop before I did, and they attempt to wave me through the intersection as a courtesy. Even if I make eye contact with the drivers, I sit immobile until they move on, as you cannot yield the right of way. There has been two separate occasions where an uncomfortable length of time went by where the other driver kept on waving me to move into the intersection. On those two occasions, I put my bike on the kickstand, walked over to the driver in the other car, and told them "You cannot yield the right of way. It is a basic rule of the road. Smooth flowing and predictable traffic depends on the right of way to avoid accidents. Commanding me to go first when you have the right of way creates confusion due to unpredictable traffic. YOU CANNOT YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY!"
What is it about motorcycles that make some people fail when they encounter them on the road? However, as much as I agree with you on standing for you principles, it usually ends up creating more havoc as the drivers behind you get backed up while you stick to your guns.
 
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